Thesaurus results for VESTIGIAL

Q: How is the word 'vestige' distinct from other similar nouns?

The words trace and track are common synonyms of vestige . While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone. // boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

Q: When could 'trace' be used to replace 'vestige'?

In some situations, the words trace and vestige are roughly equivalent. However, trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect. // the killer left no traces

Q: Where would 'track' be a reasonable alternative to 'vestige'?

While the synonyms track and vestige are close in meaning, track implies a continuous line that can be followed. // the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

vestige

noun

ˈve-stij

Definition of vestige next

as in relic

a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a few strange words carved on a tree were the only vestige of the lost colony of Roanoke

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as in footstep

the mark or impression made by a foot the fossilized vestige of a dinosaur that traversed that muddy landscape millions of years ago

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How is the word vestige distinct from other similar nouns?

The words trace and track are common synonyms of vestige. While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

When could trace be used to replace vestige?

In some situations, the words trace and vestige are roughly equivalent. However, trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

Where would track be a reasonable alternative to vestige?

While the synonyms track and vestige are close in meaning, track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of vestige The Constitution’s pardon power is a vestige of a bygone time. —

Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 7 Dec. 2024 Helena, the state capital, remains a small vestige of the Old West, with just 34,000 residents, so luring doctors has always been a challenge. —

J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 7 Dec. 2024 However, a vestige of the pre-Trump GOP such as Haley would have to contend with the party's new MAGA image. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024 These policies, among others, were not designed to benefit Black people but to level the playing field by protecting Black Americans from racist vestiges of the Jim Crow era. —

Michael Collins, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vestige

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vestige

Noun

The existing wallpaper was a relic of the former tenant’s penchant for drama and glamour.

Linne Halpern, Architectural Digest, 12 Dec. 2024
Instead, there’s an honor system — just take a drink, leave a donation and soak up the relics of a bygone era.

Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024